Macbeth Video

Macbeth is a tragedy written by Shakespeare in 1605 or 1606 for King James I and his brother-in-law, King Christian of Denmark. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a power-hungry Scottish general who, spurred on by his ambitious wife, will do anything to become king. Macbeth remains one of Shakespeare’s most read and adapted plays, and is widely acknowledged as one of the great tragedies of the English literary canon.

At the start of the play, King Duncan of Scotland meets a captain returning from the war with Norway. The captain informs Duncan of the bravery demonstrated by two Scottish generals, Macbeth and Banquo. Duncan is impressed and decides to give Macbeth a more noble title: Thane of Cawdor. At the same time, three witches called the Weird Sisters appear to Macbeth and Banquo on their way home from battle. They hail Macbeth as "Thane of Glamis" (his current title), "Thane of Cawdor,” and "king hereafter.” Disturbed by their prophecies, Macbeth asks the witches to say more, but they disappear. Soon after, two noblemen arrive with news of the king’s decision to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, just as the witches predicted. This news frightens Macbeth, who immediately feels a desire to kill Duncan and seize the kingship for himself, fulfilling the witches’ prophecy.

Meanwhile, Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, receives a letter from her husband describing these events, then learns that the king plans to visit them at their home. She immediately devises a plan to kill the king so that Macbeth can ascend to the throne, but she worries that he won’t have the courage to actually commit the murder. Macbeth soon arrives, followed by King Duncan, and Lady Macbeth tells her husband exactly how they will murder the king that night. Macbeth is astonished by her cruelty but resigns to follow through with her plan.

That evening, Macbeth drugs the king’s guards, creeps into his chamber, and stabs Duncan. Before and after the murder, Macbeth hallucinates and hears voices saying, “Macbeth shall sleep no more.” Lady Macbeth is upset to learn that her husband was too frightened to follow through with their plan to frame the king’s guards, so she returns to Duncan’s chamber to do it herself. While Macbeth is wracked with guilt over his actions, his wife claims to feel no shame, literally washing her hands of the incident.

In the morning, another nobleman called Macduff arrives with Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, to find the king dead. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feign shock, and Macbeth slays the king’s bodyguards, blaming them for the incident. Fearing for their lives, Malcolm and Donalbain flee Scotland for England and Ireland, paving the way for Macbeth to take the throne.

Macbeth is made king, but his friend Banquo worries that Macbeth may have killed Duncan to steal the throne. Macbeth, in turn, worries that Banquo may try to steal the throne for himself, or for his son, Fleance. Macbeth decides to hire mercenaries to kill them both. But that night, at a banquet, the mercenaries inform him that while they managed to kill Banquo, Fleance got away. Later, Macbeth is alarmed to see Banquo’s ghost sitting in Macbeth’s seat at the banquet table. Since Macbeth is the only one who can see his former friend’s ghost, he worries he's going mad and vows to return to the Weird Sisters.

Macbeth asks the sisters what will happen in the future. The witches answer him by summoning three apparitions: one that warns Macbeth to beware of Macduff, another that tells him "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth,” and another that says Macbeth will not be vanquished until the forest around his castle rises against him. Macbeth is relieved, since he figures that nothing can move a forest. Relieved, that is, until he asks the witches if Banquo’s sons will ever rule Scotland, and they show him a procession of kings that indeed includes descendants of Banquo. Disturbed by the witches’ first prediction, Macbeth decides to kill Macduff and his family in case they pose a threat.

Meanwhile, a lady in waiting summons a doctor to observe Lady Macbeth, who has begun to sleepwalk and hallucinate. Apparently driven mad by her part in Duncan’s murder, she imagines a spot of blood on her hand that will not come out no matter how much she scrubs it.

Macduff learns that his family has been murdered by Macbeth and together with Malcolm and the English army makes plans to seize the throne. Disguised, Macduff, Malcolm, and his army charge the castle.

Macbeth learns of the approaching army but remains sure that the witches’ prophecies will protect him. In fact, Macbeth is so mad with power that, even when he is told Lady Macbeth has died, he barely reacts, obsessed with defending his throne. Soon, a servant tells Macbeth that he saw the forest moving towards the castle. Shocked, but finally accepting the threat as real, Macbeth prepares for a fight.

Finding Macbeth, Macduff engages him in a duel, but Macbeth is sure he cannot lose since he can only fall to one not born of woman. His confidence is shaken, however, when Macduff informs him that he was “from his mother's womb untimely ripped.” Ultimately, the witches’ prophecies are fulfilled when Macduff slays Macbeth and seizes control of the country. Malcolm vows to take the throne and restore order to Scotland.